Vaporizer



Nov. l2, 1935. G. o. LEHMANN 2,020,364

VAPORIZER Filed Aug. 24, 193s un 'mmllmlmmml 9 11 /10 fg Jl- 18 l oul I l f3 Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

porizers.

The object is to provide improved means for heating a body of liquid to be vaporized, and which shall become ineffective upon a predetermined reduction of said body of liquid.

The object is especially to provide a device of the greatest possible simplicity and efllciency and in which the operating parts shall be protected from injury.

The invention also comprises simple and eilicient means for adjusting the device to receptacles or containers differing in weight, or to provide a varying minimum in weight of content, which shall render the heating device vineffective. f

Referring to the drawing which illustrates merely by Way of example, a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 1 is a vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section of a modification.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3, 3 of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

`The housing 5 provides the support or stand for the heating plate 1, which, in the present example, is of usual or conventional type of electric heating plate. This plate 'I is secured to and supported by a number of insulating blocks 8 secured to the bottom of the pan shaped element 9. The pan element 9 is secured to and supported upon the Apost I0, extending downwardly from the center of the pan. This post passes through and is vertically movable in the opening I I in the top wall o1' the housing 6. The lower end of post II) is provided with a channel or slot I2 for receiving the lever I3, the lever being secured in said slot by the pivot I4 The lever I3 preferably extends diametrically across the housing and is pivoted at one end, asat I5, to a fixed abutment I6, and at the other end is provided an adjustable hook I1 connected to one end of spring I8; the other end of said spring is connected to the hook I 9 secured to the wall of housing. The hook I1 passes through the lug 20 on the end of lever I3 and is provided with thev thumb nut 2| for adjusting the tension of the spring as required, as and for the purpose to be explained.

Preferably withiny the housing 6, located at any convenient place, is provided an electric switch or the like operating synchronously withthe movement of the heating plate, for making and (Cl. 21S-43) breaking the electric circuit of said heating plate 1.

I have shown by way of example, in Fig. 1,

a contact 22 secured to the lever I3, but insulated therefrom, so that said contact will be movable 5 with said lever, A cooperating contact 23 is secured in any suitable way to the housing 6, and

is therefore fixed. These contacts/are adapted to open vand close the said electric circuit.

In the modication shown in'Fig. 3, instead l0 of the spring controlled lever I3, a simple spring element I 3' is shown, with the post lil secured, in any suitable way, as by a screw 24, to the middle of saidspring element. 'I'he advantage of this arrangement is that the spring action on 15 the post is more evenly delivered.

-When the container C, for the liquid yto be heated or vaporized, is placed upon the heating plate 'I the surrounding wall or flange of pan 9 insures that the container is placed properly 20 upon said plate. The weight oi the container and its contents will normally depress the post i0 and lever I3 against the tension of spring I8, so as to bring the contacts 22 and 23 into contact with each other, and thus close the circuit of the 25 heating plate. This causes the heating and eventually the vaporlzation of the liquid in the'` container.

Asthis device is especially adapted for a vaporization in connection with volatile medica- 30' ments, it becomes desirable that the vaporization shall continue for a considerable period oi' time without attention. This requires that the heat communicated to the container and to liquid content, shall be interrupted before the content 35 hasv been entirely exhausted, otherwise the container becomes damaged.

In accordance with the present linvention the tension of spring I 8 is such, as to react on the lever I3 to lift the same to separate the contacts 40 22-and 23, when the weight of container and its content reached a predetermined minimum. This combined minimum weight can be experimentally determined by the adjustment of the, spring element when the liquid in the container 45 is just, or slightly more than, sumcient to protect f the container from overheating. When this adjustment is once ascertained and secured, with the container adapted to be used with the device, then the device is ready for continuous or in- 50 termittent use. The container is illled with the liquid, and the vaporization proceeds until said predetermined minimum is reached, whereupon the circuit ,isy interrupted until the container is again iilled; and so the operation may be repeated 66 as desired. No attention is required to protect the device, since the heat is automatically shut on whenever the predetermined minimum of liquid is reached.

In a vaporizer, the combination of a housing, an electric heating element, means providing an electric circuit therefor, said heating element adapted to support a container, a supporting post connected to the heating element and having a guide-way in the housing, a post supporting lever pivoted at one e'nd to the housing and spring connected between to the housing and its other end, said lever connected at a point between its two ends to the post, means for adjusting the tension of the spring, a pair of electric contacts in the said circuit, one movable with the lever, said contacts having contacting faces in parallel planes substantially at right angles with the lines of said contact movement.

GUSTAV OSCAR LEHMANN. 

